I managed to complete the federal period demi-lune gateleg table show in an issue of FW a year or so back and gave it to my sister. She liked it so much my other sister is now “requesting” equal attention, so I’m making another to keep the family happy.
My only problem with the first version was that I need to both stain legs and apron that contained inlay and use a base coat of dye to get a reasonable veneer/solid mohagany color match. When I did this the light colored inlay turing out very muddy. I was hoping it would just look “aged” but that was not the case.
Does anyone have a good idea of how to prevent this from happening? Ive done some test pieces using shellac or poly applied to the inlay prior to dye/stain but neither helps a lot. Also, putting some non-porous material over the inlay before coloring is problematic as a lot of the inlay is 1/16″ stringing which IMO would be very difficult to accurately cover.
Replies
How about staining before applying the inlay?
To the previous comment, applying the stain before inlay will not work. When you level the inlay to the table, it will make the stain in that area uneven.
try a heavier shellac (2.5 lb cut) and when you put the stain on, use a fine brush at the edges (painters brush). If it bleeds into the inlay, you can use a small scraper (try an modified piece of bandsaw blade) to pull up any stain that makes its way to the inlay.
All the best!
Anna
Yah. And one time I did a similar thing by heating some parafin and painting it over the inlays. But if there's a ton of inlay, oooo, I wouldn't want to have to deal with that.
Did Bob Millard cover this issue in his description on building the tea chest? I suppose its worth a look. I know this has come up before, I just don't recall hearing a conclusive description.I would think the originals used boxwood stringing and its very tight grained, and may not accept dye to any significant degree.Just a though.
creek,
Easiest thing is to use a colorant that affects only the mahogany and not the inlay. Potassium bichromate will work. Also lye is supposed to be effective, and Rob Millard uses lime. All three dissolved in water. Different concentrations yield different degrees of color change, so that you will need to experiment with scraps so that the veneer comes out the same as the solid wood. I've only used the potash, it is bad for showing lap marks, but ideal for coloring mahogany or cherry. The colors are natural looking, not muddy. Safety glasses and gloves recommended, don't drink it or breathe the dust, as this chemical is poisonous, and classified as a carcinogen.
"Stopping out" with shellac, lacquer, or varnish is possible, but takes good, magnified (for my middle-aged eyes) eyesight, and a steady hand. Use a strong cut of shellac, or varnish right out of the can to achieve complete sealing, then stain with your ordinary stain. Thin shellac, etc, flows off the tiny brush better, but tends not to adequately seal in my experience, and can also bleed from the inlay onto the ground you want to stain.
Ray
Creekside51,
I make quite a bit of federal furniture, and have experimented with many ways to color the wood but not the inlays. The following link has a description of the way I have settled on.
http://americanfederalperiod.com/detailed_construction_articles.htm (click on the photo of the tea chest)
In the article I use lime (available at any garden center) to color the mahogany but not the inlay. While the tea chest came out with a good color straight from the lime, as a rule I apply a tinted oil to give depth to the grain and alter the color a bit. This requires sealing the inlays. I use brushing lacquer and appropriate sized artist brushes ( see attached photo). I happen to have excellent up close vision which is a great help in work like this, but of equal importance is having the brush match the size of the inlay.
By first coloring the wood with the lime, and then sealing the inlays, it takes a lot of pressure off of getting a prefect sealing job; it is important to fully seal the inlay, but a minor amount of bleeding onto the mahogany won't be noticeable, because it is already colored very close to its final color.
Later this year, I'm making a card table, and I'm going to film the entire construction and finishing process for my line of DVD's.
Rob Millard
Wow, that looks an awful lot like work.
It isn't really. What it is, is necessary to achieve the proper look.
Rob Millard
http://www.americanfederalperiod.com
Speaking of inlays and veneers, did you ever get the piece I sent out?
Peter,
Yes, I did and it was very nice. I sent you an email within a day or two of receiving it.
Rob Millard
Rob,
I didn't get it, probably went into junk because it didn't recognize your name. that won't happen again.
I've had a few different opinions on what it is. What's your take?
Peter
Peter,
I sent you a response to the e-mail you sent me also, now I am wondering if mine suffered the same fate as Rob M's e-mail did.
Rob
Rob,
I got yours. We can trade some stories anytime I'm sure.
Peter
Out of curiosity, is lacquer more impervious to stain than shellac or poly?
The lacquer is thicker and therefore easier to brush it where you want it, than shellac would be. Poly takes a bit longer to dry, and doesn't fuse layers like the lacquer does.
Rob Millard
http://www.americanfederalperiod.com
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled